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Welcome to my stop on the Skydreamer blog tour. Always happy to have visitors, especially when I’ve got good news to share. I’ve managed to snag the first of a series of EXCLUSIVE excerpts from Ms. Winters’ just released New Adult Fantasy Romance, SKYDREAMER.

Before I get to the teaser, let me give you all the details about the novel, which released yesterday.

Blurb: For fire talent, Jaden Zarie, life is far from a fairy tale. Blisters from any contact with water, check. Sleeping in a shed behind your greedy Uncle’s house, check. Ex-boyfriend scouting the bar where you work for one-night stands every night, double check.

When Jaden sets off to secure a new life with her two sisters, winning a contest with a huge pile of gold on the line seems like a quick fix. Getting hitched to Draven Winterbourne, King of the Dragon-changers, and finding true love, was beyond anything she could have hoped for.

But a friend turned enemy threatens to take it all away. Jaden is thrust into an alternate universe and separated from her new husband and her sisters, she must summon up the courage to start over, alone, knowing she may never see any of them again.

Now, without further ado, here is your exclusive excerpt from SKYDREAMER…

Excerpt:

“…The Contest is open to all women between the ages of twenty-one and thirty. Contestants are required to bring their own reagents. The use of Alchemy is strictly prohibited. Chance of winning twelve hundred gold per round is one in…”

Voices press in on me from every side. The week of constant traveling has done me in. All I want to do is hide in the vego and sleep. I don’t even care if we have enough for dinner tonight. I feel trapped by the chattering voices of the crowd mashed up with the officials on the Dais.

“I heard the King’s mother set up this contest herself. Talk about the ultimate mama’s boy. He has to be uglier than a troll if his mother has to marry him off this way,” someone suggested.

“… high possibility of death,” came a skeptical voice, “but with twelve hundred gold per round, everyone should enter.”

“Which one is Draven?” a shrill voice demands.

“Are you blind?” Came the reply. “He’s the one good looking one with the light brown hair. The one standing next to King Evrid.”

“You said he was ugly!”

It doesn’t matter who this Draven is. We are only here for Adania. If we win, every silver goes to her schooling. She’ll have a roof over her head and decent clothes. Nothing else matters.

My fingers sink back into the dark blue Legal Sphere I received earlier. The tiny ball settles into my palms with only a light sizzle and its message sounds inside my head.

All contestants will enter into an exclusive competition. The winner will win a one-year marriage with Draven Winterbourn, King of the Dragon-Changers. Iyardar Stone to choose the winner. In the event Draven Winterbourn does not agree with the Iyardar Stone, he has the right to veto said contestant and select one of his choosing from the remaining contestants. As stipulated, marriage duration will be one year, unless both parties—

“Is the Iyardar Stone a diamond, or a ruby?” I whisper to Isla. “And how does it choose a winner if it’s a rock?”

* * * *

Here’s where you can get your copy of SKYDREAMER (available in both Print and eBook formats)

BUY LINKS

About Sheryl Winters:

I never set out to be an author. Only a story teller. Some days I succeed better than others.

I am super excited to be able to wish my good friend and fellow author, Terri Rochenski a very happy book birthday on the day of the release of her latest novel in the Means of Mercy series, LOVE’S REVENGE. If you read the first in the series, Love’s Sorrow, then you are just as jazzed for this new release as I am.

Description: Embittered by betrayal, Anne MacKay flees London for America, where she learns she’s pregnant with her abusive husband’s longed-for heir. In a society that doesn’t protect, or afford a well-to-do wife’s desire for divorce, Anne decides there is one way to exact revenge: deny the father any knowledge of his child.

Sought after by her husband’s henchmen, Anne travels by rail and horseback, far from civilization where silk and stays are worn, let alone thought of. Lies and deceit protect her identity for a time, allowing her to birth—and grow to love—the child who was supposed to be her vengeance.

With the help of her loyal and protective business partner, Jude Connagher, and the ranch hands in their Montana Territory valley, Anne attempts to rebuild her life under the shadow of her husband’s wrath.

One unwise decision lands Anne in her pursuers’ clutches, tearing her from the ranch, her child, and her growing love for the one man who could redeem her from bitterness. She’s left with no choice but to finally face her husband, knowing her freedom and life hang in the balance.

Blurb: Now that she’s found him again, all Mia Crawford wants is some downtime with her fallen angel boyfriend, Michael. But the call of duty keeps him away—from school and from her—with more demons to smite than ever.

When Michael is mortally wounded by a cursed sword, Mia must perform an ancient blood ritual to save him. But the spell exacts a price. Haunted by visions of war, torture, and despair, Mia discovers the world is in more danger than she ever imagined. Behind the scenes, an evil adversary pulls all the strings.

After redemption, there’s Hell to pay.

EXCERPT:

Light from the near-full moon shimmers off the leaves of sycamore trees, and the scent of pomegranate hangs in the air. Though my footfalls are silent on the hard-packed earth, Hell is never far away. Nor is that blood-stained rack that was my prison for millennia. The memory of my master’s claws still stings my throat; the poison of his hate burns below the skin. Perhaps it always will. The only reality I’ve come to know is that my pain satisfies him.

Anka sleeps on a grass mat, her lithe, young form curled into a fetal position on the roof of her family’s mud brick house. Strands of her long, black hair are stuck to her cheekbones from the heat. The girl is old enough to be married but will be taken to the temple of Seth in the morning instead. Rumors of her prophetic dreams have secured her place as an oracle. Such a gift interests my master too, and as influential as Seth is among the Egyptian people, he’s a false god, my master’s rival. A demon warlord just like him.

Her father snores deeply, but the stifling air makes her mother fitful. The woman twists and turns. Does she anticipate me? I stand over the girl and contemplate how to take her without waking them. Their terror alone would sound a call to all the scavengers along the Nile, and my master wants her soul intact. More power that way. In servitude or sacrifice, souls are the fuel that builds empires.

My hand hovers over her nose and mouth, and her soft breath tickles my skin. I could suffocate her while she dreams, a silent, seemingly natural death. Or I could carve out her heart, a symbolic gesture. He’d take pleasure in that. If I’m fast enough, she won’t have time to cry out or wake the others. I run my fingers over the middle of her chest and extend my claws.

A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.

A self-proclaimed coffee lover, she can usually be found writing in a local café. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!

Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.

If you’ve ever been caught in a riptide, pulled down into the water, then you know me. Or, more accurately, what I’m like when I’m angry.

Delia was beautiful, smart, and kind. He wasn’t. He said he loved her, but he didn’t know what love was. He was manipulative and cruel—more than a thief. A beast.

All she wanted was a rose… These are the words on my sister’s grave. Her sadness, her obsession, forever a reminder I didn’t–couldn’t save her.

I’m not vindictive or cruel. I’m simply as the river–my memory is winding and my reach is long. I watched him steal her beauty, her essence. Watched him become a beast. He thought he’d get away with it, thought he’d go free.

Echo Shea is an Urban Fantasy writer. Known for fast-paced and sometimes chilling prose, she hunkers down at her desk with characters that not only enchant, but excite her. There’s something so freeing about writing beyond what seems possible.

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.

Hey, everyone! It’s me again. I said I would try to be a good girl and post more often, and LOOK!! Here I am again. Go me!

Enough about me… Today I have a nice little treat for you all — a lovely teaser excerpt from Roane Publishing’s most recent anthology release, SPOOKTACULAR SEDUCTIONS. The anthology features stories from eight authors, and today I get to share Anne Higa’s story, Do you Believe in Ghosts. But, we’ll get to that in just a minute. We must start at the beginning, yes?

Now, that you know a bit more about the anthology, let’s take a peek into one of the fantastic sounding stories, Do You Believe in Ghosts by Anne Higa.

Do You Believe in Ghosts? – Anne Higa

Blurb: Jeff Austin-LeGrange has been fleeing from the remnants of his dark and haunted childhood his entire life. The past always catches up to us, and his is no exception.

Alice Hopkins, Jeff’s high school sweetheart, has tried to forget him and tried to move on. You never forget your first love.

When Jeff’s mother dies and Alice’s father falls ill, the two are forced to confront their mutual history and their deepest desires. One thing is sure: neither of their lives will ever be the same again. Perhaps, the past can be overcome. Perhaps, it is not too late to believe in miracles. Perhaps, more than one couple will be reunited this Fall.

Who can say? With a little magic, anything is possible.

Excerpt:

The Whitecourt Diner had a row of tables against the windows overlooking the park across the street. He scanned the string of seats, searching for the perfect evening view, and suddenly there she was, seated alone at one of the tables. She sipped a mug of coffee, maybe tea, her eyes focused out the window.

A glimmer of pleasure tingled across the back of his neck.

Alice looked at him and a warm smile lit her face.

The years had been kind to her. She still had the same dark hair, like the ocean at night, and her firm body sat upright in the chair. He could still remember the sweetness of having her in his arms. They had been one another’s first time, and he had never forgotten her, never really gotten over her.

* * * *

At first, Alice thought she might dreaming. Everyone knew Jeff had left town, and she knew better than most. He still looked good, was still the man she had once loved. There were a few more lines around his mouth, and he wore business casual as opposed to t-shirt and jeans she was used to, but otherwise it was definitely him. The starched white shirt and dark blue slacks gave him a neat and professional appearance.

He had gone to Columbia University, while she went to Penn State. After that, they had slowly drifted apart. She graduated with her Art History degree, and he earned his CPA. That was the last she heard of him.

His eyes met hers with a flicker of recognition, and she smiled uncertainly as he walked over to her. “Jeff? I didn’t know you were back in town.”

“Alice.”

For a brief awkward moment they gaped at each other, and Alice wasn’t sure if they should shake hands, or just nod politely.

The anthology is available NOW, so swing by any of the below retailers to pick up your copy. Paperback and eBook versions are both available.

“Midnight Dawn straps you in from the beginning and whisks you away on an emotional, breath-taking ride of romance, fantasy, and good vs. evil. It’s magic.” –Naima Simone, author of the SECRETS AND SINS series

With only three days until the wraith king turns the earth into an all-you-can-eat buffet, Addison Beckett is forced to enlist brooding sentinel Asher Green’s help to unlock the Mortal Machine. According to the founder, all she has to do is find the sanctuary—the same sanctuary she can’t remember because Asher erased her memories.

Trying to save humanity while navigating Asher’s lies is a royal pain. But the more time she and Asher spend together, the harder her soul tries to remind her what else he’s made her forget—that he loves her, wants her, needs her.

When she’s trapped by the wraith king and forced to pick who will stand by her in the coming battle, Addison is faced with an impossible choice: the sentinel she loves who refuses to love her back, or a powerful stranger who insists they’re meant to be together. Her decision will determine the fate of humanity, and once decided, can’t be undone.

Alone with Asher, my thoughts turned to the unknown I’d face with the badass in the bar, and my nerves unraveled. “You should have had Kat teach me to be a hussy instead of how to fight.” I wanted to ask him if he was going to take Kat as his conduit now that I knew for sure they were compatible, but it wasn’t any of my business, and I didn’t think I could handle the answer.

Asher turned to me several times, opening his mouth, but nothing came out.

“Yeah, still not good at giving comfort. Don’t worry about it.” Why had I been thinking this would be fun? Because I was totally mental, apparently. I closed my eyes and visualized the spot down in the true reality where I wanted to land. It was easier to go places I had an emotional attachment to, but I could go anywhere as long as I knew what it looked like.

When I called the Shift to descend, Asher caught my good arm before I made it out to the real world, snapping me back to him. “Addison, wait,” he said with more feeling than I’d heard from him in a while. Maybe ever. The skin contact sent a rush of endorphins through me, but still no signs of a deeper Machine whiz-bang reaction.

“What?” I managed to spit out of my sudden cotton mouth.

He arranged my long dark brown hair around my shoulders, suddenly freezing in place before dropping his hands and jamming them into his pants pockets. When he finally spoke, his voice had hollowed out, and he never raised his gaze higher than my chin. “You’re more charming than you realize. Just make lots of eye contact and smile at him, and he’ll be helpless to resist you.”

I couldn’t have been more stunned if someone had pushed me off a cliff. Then why doesn’t it work on you? my inner voice wanted to ask before I thought at it to shut the hell up.

“Be careful,” he said when I just stood there, staring at the sweet concern I could have sworn darkened his spectacular eyes. “I’ll be right behind you.”

My stomach warmed, and it took everything I had to make myself walk away from him.

* * *

About Jocelyn Adams:

Jocelyn is an office grunt by day and creator of romance and adventure by night. Born a farmer’s daughter with a vivid imagination, she spent her childhood dreaming up stories.

With no formal training, she relied on the honest feedback of her writing group to take her from that first short story all the way to THE END of her first novel. She now has five published novels and has recently signed a 3-book deal with Entangled Publishing.

When she isn’t slinging words, you can find her shooting her bow or enjoying the serenity of family life in her little house in the woods.

As always, welcome back to the blog. I am always so happy to have you stop by. Today, I have a special treat for you all… a short visit by the author of Roane Publishing’s latest release, Sheryl Winters.

She has stopped by to answer a question I had for her about her Lil’ Genie series, the first of which is Purr-fect Mating, a Contemporary Paranormal Romance featuring shifters.

Mmmm…shifters.

Before I get to my question, let’s have a closer look at the first story, Purr-fect Mating.

Now that you have all the juicy details, lets get to the question I had for Ms. Winters.

What does the Lil’ Genie series have in store for its readers? What sorts of cats can you let out of the proverbial bag for us?

Sheryl: I am currently writing a short story about Fhina’s cousin, Tessa. While I can’t comment on the plot, I can tell you the earrings Fhina kitty-napped will come back to haunt her. This time it will affect not only Fhina, but Tessa and her bakery as well.

Nice! Looking forward to checking that one out. A huge thanks to you for stopping by for a visit.

If you are interested in learning more about Sheryl Winters or her writing, you can stop by and visit with her at the links listed below her BIO.

About the Author: I never set out to be an author. Only a story teller. Some days I succeed better than others.

Description:They say love conquers all, but whoever “they” are, must not have heard of Murphy’s Law — whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

These five tales of sweet, accidental romance prove Cupid’s arrows are a lot tougher than they seem, and sometimes it pays to be unlucky.

No Wrong Turns – Lisa A. Adams

Falling for You – Michelle Ziegler

Coffee and Cufflinks – Annabelle Blume

A Slippery Slope – Rebecca Hart

The Shamrock Incident – London Saint James

No Wrong Turns by Lisa A. Adams

Jessica Brannah is escaping from her last heartbreak with a loaded car and a new address. But, when Murphy’s Law finds her stranded in a back country town, she realizes there’s no outrunning love.

Falling For You by Michelle Ziegler

Darci’s ready to move on. Too bad the dating pool stinks. Until, a ghost from her past resurfaces—the man she missed out on in college.

Andrew was the one man she’d always loved, but neither of them ever made a move. But, old feelings aren’t the only thing resurfacing of late. Darci’s ex comes crawling back at the most inappropriate time, and with all the testosterone flying, she might not end up with either man.Coffee and Cufflinks by Annabelle Blume

Fresh out of a failed relationship and exhausted by a constant barrage of fiascos at work, Olivia Johnson doesn’t see the man of her dreams standing right in front of her. She tells herself the morning coffee meet-ups with Daren are nothing but coincidence, but even she can’t deny his unequivocal attractiveness. When a night entertaining clients takes a turn for the worst, and Daren shows up where she least expects him, failure starts to look more like fate.

A Slippery Slope by Rebecca Hart

Anne Montgomery is psyched for her girl’s only weekend, despite her friends’ choice of vacation locale—the snowy slopes of Harris Peak Ski Resort—where someone as notoriously accident prone as she has no business being. When Murphy’s Law finally catches up with her, Anne is forced to consider there may be times when it pays to be unlucky.

The Shamrock Incident by London Saint James

Florist, Marissa Carmichael isn’t usually a klutz, but she’s in a hurry and having a bad day. In her haste, she loses her balance and tumbles from the back room of her shop, arms flailing. Her less than graceful entrance halted by a headfirst crash into a display case chock full of silk flowers.

Trey Cleary didn’t think his day could get any worse, until he finds. himself picking the side view mirror of his BMW up from the ground. On a mission to do something about it, he locates the flower shop matching the name on the back of the van that mangled his ‘baby’. But, his car is forgotten when a beautiful woman bursts into the room like an out of control whirling dervish, and takes one mother of a wipeout into the shop’s counter. Coming to her aid brings out the hero in him like no one he’s ever encountered, and leaves him with a need to know more.

For Marissa and Trey, this just might be the one time it pays to be unlucky.

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

So Happy to get a chance to share… My review of this novel is in the works (I’m 75% done reading — LOVING IT so far. *wink*)

March Madness with Entangled Embrace has kicked off with a
bang with all of our titles going on sale at $.99, a fun filled day with all
our Embrace authors on Facebook on March 13
and today we have a brand new release, Darkside Sun by Jocelyn Adams.

It’s already receiving rave reviews and can be picked up at
a steal of $.99 today!

Darkside Sun by Jocelyn Adams

The dead have been waiting for her…

Addison Beckett tries hard to pretend she’s normal, but
she’s far from it. Since she was six years old, she’s seen the world around her
unraveling, as if someone is pulling a thread from a sweater and it’s all
slowly coming undone. When she ignores it, it goes away, so that’s what she
does.

Enter her arrogant-but-hot professor Asher Green. He knows
all about her special brand of crazy. In fact, he might be just as nuts as she
is. Asher insists that the dead from a parallel dimension are trying to possess
the living in this one. And since Addison seems to be the only one who can see
these “wraiths,” she just might be the key to saving the world.

Addison wants nothing to do with Asher or his secret
society, The Mortal Machine. But as their animosity grows, she finds it harder
and harder to ignore the chemistry between them. And when she discovers that
Machine laws forbid her from touching him, she realizes that’s all she wants to
do.

Stop the wraiths. Break the rules. Save the world. All in a
day’s work.

For a good friend of mine, the day all writers love– release day–has come.

*cue fanfare and confetti*

A big fat congratulations to Annabelle Blume for her latest release, OLD FLAME–a New Adult Contemporary Romance with Roane Publishing.

As part of the release day festivities, I have wrangled Ms. Blume into stopping by the blog for a visit. (Go me.)

In her novella, the main character, Hannah, has a bit of an unhealthy obsession with her ex, James — so I thought it would be fun to pick the authors brain a bit about that aspect of Hannah’s personality.

Here’s what she had to say:

I was in college before the advent of social media. The internet had just started to take hold in mainstream American life. I was actually annoyed freshman year because professor demanded we sign up and use our free university-hosted email accounts to contact him. I’m pretty sure I muttered something to the effect of, “Like I’m ever going to use that.” Only rich old dudes had cellular phones. They were the size of Rhode Island and could only make and receive calls, usually for the hefty sum of $2 per minute. Chat rooms existed online, but not a lot of people I knew were participating. Oh, and you had to plug your computer modem into a phone jack to access the internet. Yes, really. Imagine how that went when you shared one phone line in a house with 5 other people.

It was a simpler time. (I’m not old, shut up!) There were a few instances where I made a mix tape for a guy I had a crush on, or what have you, but nothing extreme. We cried, we lamented, we mourned when our relationships went bust. Pints of ice cream were devoured and Sarah McLaughlin sold millions of albums. But without modern technology at our fingertips, no way to see where your ex was “checking in” or profiles to follow, it took a very, um, special, kind of person to keep tabs on their ex. I was not one of those kinds of ex-girlfriends. When we were done, we were DONE. I never got back together with a single ex, not that there were many, but you get my point.

That’s why it was so much fun, and slightly scary, to write Hannah. Imagining what it would be like to date today, with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and so on… is mind-boggling. Frankly, it’s a miracle more young people don’t get lost in obsessive behavior when it comes to their ex. Or do they?
Sounds like the idea for another story to me 😛

Here are all the details on Old Flame, the first in Annabelle’s Hearts Aflame Files series.

Old Flame
by Annabelle Blume

Genre: New Adult Romance (Contemporary)

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Keywords: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary, Novella, Series

Blurb: Hannah Sullivan has spent the past three months stalking her ex-boyfriend, lurking in the bushes and hiding behind fake social media personas, convinced she can eventually rekindle the love they once shared. But when she meets Marc, who is everything James never wanted to be and more, she begins to wonder if she’s got it all wrong.

Hannah must come to terms with her own demons before she can decipher between her delusional mission the man of her dreams.

About the Author: Annabelle is a best-selling Romance and New Adult author, that is, when she’s not checking homework or begrudgingly cooking dinner. Wife, mother, and creator of alternate worlds, Annabelle has a penchant for that which is outside the norm.

Her degree in Sociology has given her the ability to construct worlds that exist only in her head and translate them passionately to the page. The time spent studying individuals, interpersonal relationships, and particularly, women, within the constraints of our society led to Annabelle’s unabashed ability to talk about sex as it fits into our modern lives.

She’s also the author/personality of The Bombshell Mommy at Vitacost.com where she helps modern Bombshells and their families live “green”.